EA changes Online Pass for SSX

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Half way through 2010 EA decided to take action against the sale of its games used. The publisher saw no revenue from the re-sale of its games, and wanted in on the action. So Project Ten Dollar was started, that ended up with the official name of Online Pass.

The system is pretty simple: if you buy an EA game new you get a pass code in the box that unlocks access to online multiplayer features, and in some cases additional single-player content. Alternatively, if you buy the game used, that content is blocked until you purchase a new online pass for around $10.

That system hasn’t really changed much over the past couple of years, but with the release of SSX on February 28, Online Pass has been tweaked.

Rather than blocking access to multiplayer, EA has instead decided to block the transfer of in-game credits. So those playing used copies of SSX can still take part in the Explore and Global Events the game offers online, but any credit they earn from Global Events won’t be transferred unless an Online Pass is purchased.

According to EA, that means no content will be blocked when playing a used copy of the game, but in-game credit won’t be available to purchase new gear or event-drops.

For the casual player this certainly looks like a positive development. You can buy the game used and play all aspects of it. It’s only if you get seriously into the game that an Online Pass will start to look like a worthwhile purchase.

EA hasn’t stated if this is a permanent change to Online Pass or just for SSX. It may be an experiment to see if gamers picking up used copies still purchase an Online Pass as often.